PAs and Doctorates

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I've been a certified P.A. for 30 plus years, and it astounds me that I still have to explain to a patient what my position is.  Even after the explanation, most of them insist on calling me the title "doctor"--I correct them each time they do.  But I do no believe that a clinical doctorate is needed in our profession.  But a name change is.  By the way, do you really think a doctorate level physical therapist does a better job for the patient than a B.S. level?

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I've been a certified P.A. for 30 plus years, and it astounds me that I still have to explain to a patient what my position is.  Even after the explanation, most of them insist on calling me the title "doctor"--I correct them each time they do.  But I do no believe that a clinical doctorate is needed in our profession.  But a name change is.  By the way, do you really think a doctorate level physical therapist does a better job for the patient than a B.S. level?

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Pingback from http://community.advanceweb.com/blogs/pa_1/archive/2008/12/19/clint-eastwood-and-trace-adkins-film-honor-flight-psas.aspx#comments

I've been a certified P.A. for 30 plus years, and it astounds me that I still have to explain to a patient what my position is.  Even after the explanation, most of them insist on calling me the title "doctor"--I correct them each time they do.  But I do no believe that a clinical doctorate is needed in our profession.  But a name change is.  By the way, do you really think a doctorate level physical therapist does a better job for the patient than a B.S. level?

I've been a certified P.A. for 30 plus years, and it astounds me that I still have to explain to a patient what my position is.  Even after the explanation, most of them insist on calling me the title "doctor"--I correct them each time they do.  But a name change is.  But I do no believe that a clinical doctorate is needed in our profession.  

By the way, do you really think a doctorate level physical therapist does a better job for the patient than a B.S. level?

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I've been a certified P.A. for 30 plus years, and it astounds me that I still have to explain to a patient what my position is.  Even after the explanation, most of them insist on calling me the title "doctor"--I correct them each time they do.  But I do no believe that a clinical doctorate is needed in our profession.  But a name change is.  By the way, do you really think a doctorate level physical therapist does a better job for the patient than a B.S. level?  

I've been a certified P.A. for 30 plus years, and it astounds me that I still have to explain to a patient what my position is.  Even after the explanation, most of them insist on calling me the title "doctor"--I correct them each time they do.  But I do no believe that a clinical doctorate is needed in our profession.  But a name change is.  

By the way, do you really think a doctorate level physical therapist does a better job for the patient than a B.S. level?  

I've been a certified P.A. for 30 plus years, and it astounds me that I still have to explain to a patient what my position is.  Even after the explanation, most of them insist on calling me "doctor"--although I correct them each time they do.  But I do no believe that a clinical doctorate is needed in our profession.  But a name change is.  

By the way, do you really think a doctorate level physical therapist does a better job for the patient than a B.S. level?  

I've been a certified P.A. for 30 plus years, and it astounds me that I still have to explain to a patient what my position is.  Even after the explanation, most of them insist on calling me "doctor"--although I correct them each time they do.  But I do no believe that a clinical doctorate is needed in our profession.  But a name change is.  We should be called Medical Practitioners and our patients should call us Mrs., Ms., or Mr.  We should introduce ourselves thus  AND CALL OUR PATIENTS MRS, MS OR MR ALSO.  If they still want to see a doctorate level practitioner, then t hey can so schedule.  

In addition, we need to fight for independent practice in our individual states.  We don't have to fight alone, we have lots of patients who will go to the mats for us.  We just have to ask them.  When they understand what is at stake, then they will be glad to promote this concept.  But if we continue to sureptitiously pretend that we are M.D.'s, then we will never advance and our situation will remain the same forever.

By the way, do you really think a doctorate level physical therapist does a better job for the patient than a B.S. level?  

I think the PA profession should evaluate this question from the standpoint of how will patients affected by a looming shortage of primary care practitioners respond to the lack of independant, competant and doctorally trained primary care practitoners? Stop fooling yourselves, the AMA and Physicians are a politically motivated group concerned about running the health care industry as a "free market business" for which those at the top of the food chain command top dollar, top lifestyle and top respect. This is why so many FMG's and IMG's want to leave their countries and practice in the U.S. If PA's want to tie their survival, advancement and acceptance in the medical community based upon the opinion of MD's, good luck with that. DO's,(doctor of osteopathic medicine), were once in this second class position and have elevated themselves to the position of "Physician". Patients don't want to see an "assitant" anymore, they want to see a "Doctor". The great disconnect here is that we have an administrative AAPA who is clueless as to what happens at the clinical level. In my practice we have a podiatrist, psychiatrist, psychologist, an NP who is working on her DNP(Doctorate of Nursing Practice)and then there is the PA. One year from now my office staff will have all "Doctors" working here and one "assistant". Would you like to put yourself in the place of that one assitant? What is interesting to me is that the MPAS degree, with 1-2 year clinical residencies is already a more rigerous program than the DNP training program which doesn't have hospital based clinical training as part of its curriculum. PA's with certificates have spent more time in the hospital doing the 1 year clinical rotation and some having completed a 1-2 year residency than a DNP. Has the AAPA actually looked at the DNP training curriculum? Look up any DNP training program and then ask yourself where is the "beef" in the arguement against PA doctoral degrees. I was a PA, but got tired of glass cielings, ostrication at professional conferences and doing "urgent care". I now call the shots as a "Doctor" which has resulted in better patient care evidenced by the growth of my practice, something I could never accomplish from the position of an "assitant". PA's owe it to America to step in and take care of the tired, poor, actue and chronically ill primary care patients who for financial reasons are overlooked by a political organization concerned with preserving the "free market system" of health care in America. THINK ON THESE THINGS.  

Government advocated programs do not advocate PA leaders who do not advocate primary care.  As a profession, our current primary care as well as specialty PAs need to advocate primary care.  Practicing PAs against the primary care movement is few.  Practicing PAs against limiting practices to primary care underserved populations, urban as well as rural is more than few.  

National legislation proceed as primary care advocates.  Government advocated programs stress primary care --advocating PA-S towards medically underserved primary care.

AAPA confirms our independent practice stance, PAs neither advocate independent practice nor federal state practice preemption; the PA profession is currently a solution to access, efficiency, and economic problems in health care.  Mobilizing adaptive stance proceeds to be crucial.

UNLESS THE PROFESSION IS WILLING TO BACK INDEPENDENT PRACTICE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS(like an NP'S) THEN THE ISSUE OF DOCTORATE LEVEL DEGREES IS MUTE.